In mammography screening X-ray film has been replaced by digital detectors. A typical setup is shown in US patent publication No. 2014/0205060. The patient places her breasts on a horizontal plate containing the X-ray detector, which consists of an array of stacks of laminar components bonded together. The end wall of the detector is placed against the chest wall of the patient. In order to obtain as complete a reading as possible, it is important that the distance to the edge of the active portion of the detector be as small as possible so that as much of the patient's breast as possible lies over the active surface of the detector. It is also important to ensure that the detector can be manufactured economically using automated manufacturing techniques.
The laminar components are manufactured by bonding them as individual layers together on a supporting frame. The supporting frame must extend beyond the end wall of the stack in order to provide a trench to collect excess adhesive as described in our co-pending application no. PCT/CA2014/000584, which is hereby incorporated by reference. This tends to result in the active area of the detector being displaced from the chest, an effect that results in reducing the effectiveness of the detector.